Sports Cars: November 2011

Saturday 26 November 2011

2012 Ferrari FF Images

2012 Ferrari FF Images

2012 Ferrari FF

2012 Ferrari FF Review And Pictures

2012 Ferrari FF Review And Pictures

Review:

The 2012 Ferrari FF ranks 3 out of 8 Exotic Sports Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 15 published reviews and test drives of the Ferrari FF, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.

The 2012 FF features Ferrari’s first all-wheel drive system. So far, the automotive industry likes this ground breaking car because it’s both fast and friendly to backseat passengers.

Exotic sports cars cost more than $100,000, and with good reason. They have European nameplates, some of the nicest interiors on the market, powerful engines and exotic exteriors that cause drivers who own normal cars to stop and stare. The all-new 2012 Ferrari FF, which replaces the Ferrari 612 Scagietti, fits into this category. However, the FF stands out because it is a grand tourer that seats four, but still offers impressive sports car performance.

The Ferrari FF is different than competitors like the Aston Martin DB9, which is also a grand tourer, because it seats four comfortably. Not all reviewers say passengers six-feet or taller will be comfortable, but the FF does have the most comfortable back seats in the class. The FF also has four-wheel drive, making it the first Ferrari that doesn’t operate solely on its rear wheels. This powertrain may make some shoppers nervous, but test drivers say it’s hard to tell when the four-wheel drive system is in use. The FF is a great handler, and the four-wheel drive only kicks in when it’s needed. In normal driving conditions, the FF simply relies on the rear wheels.

The 2012 FF gets fantastic reviews for its 12-cylinder engine, four-wheel drive and comfortable rear seats, but one thing reviewers aren’t impressed with is its exterior styling. "It's not exactly beautiful, but this Pininfarina-penned coupe is charming with an undeniable Ferrari presence,” writes AutoWeek. “The look starts with a toothy jack-o'-lantern front end and flows into a shooting-brake backside, creating a silhouette that will remind just about everyone of the first BMW Z-coupe. The FF looks a bit ungainly, or perhaps oddly proportioned as Ferraris go, but it's less so than the four-dour Porsche Panamera." The negative comments don’t end there. The FF is also called a “toilet brush on wheels,” and some writers say it lacks the sexiness that Ferraris are known for. But, the FF’s love-it-or-hate-it exterior styling is what makes it so comfortable on the inside. If you’re looking for an exotic sports car that can seat four comfortably, the FF is your only option.

Shoppers who like the FF’s mixture of exotic sports car and practicality will have to wait. Ferrari didn’t make many, and according to Edmunds, they’re already sold out for the first two years. If the prospect of waiting a few years to get this model doesn’t deter you, perhaps the FF’s price will. It starts at about $300,000.

Other Sports Cars to Consider

The 2012 FF’s Italian nameplate shows that this sports car was designed for performance, but technically, this four-seater should appeal to shoppers in the market for a grand tourer. In that case, the Aston Martin DB9, which costs about $100,000 less than the FF, should appeal to some consumers. The DB9 has an aggressive exterior that screams exclusivity, luxury and speed. This exotic sports car is also one of the few that’s comfortable enough for long drives. Like the FF, the DB9 also has a V12 engine, but it doesn’t have all-wheel drive. And despite its four-person capacity, no one will sit comfortably in the back row.

The Ferrari FF won’t appeal to all shoppers looking for a sleek sports car that seats two because the FF straddles the line between grand tourer and super fast eye-catching speed demon. If you’re after an exotic sports car in the latter category, test drive the Lamborghini Gallardo. It has one-of-a-kind exterior and a 10-cylinder engine with some of the highest performance ratings in the class. Unlike the 2012 FF, the Gallardo is truly designed for the racetrack.

Details: 2010 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti

The 2012 FF is an all-new model from Ferrari. It has a 6.3-liter V12 engine, a dual-clutch transmission and a four-wheel drive system called 4RM, which is a first for Ferrari. If you can afford the nearly $300,000 FF, and haven’t registered for one, you’ll have to wait. Ferrari has sold out of the first batch.

2012 Ferrari FF Pictures

2012 Ferrari FF

Friday 25 November 2011

Sports Car Ferrari F70 2012 Wallpapers

Ferrari F70 2012 Wallpapers

Ferrari F70 2012

Sports Car Ferrari F70 2012 Review

Ferrari F70 2012 Car Review

Review:

Ferrari has ambitious goals for its successor to the mighty Enzo: Rumored to be called the F70, this mid-engine supercar will have to do nothing less than substantially outperform the Enzo, while being considerably more efficient to comply with ever-tougher emissions standards. As such, it will have to do more with less. Less weight, less cylinders…but one thing will be more: the price. It’s said that when the F70 goes on sale in 2012, it could very well cost over $1 million.

Using knowledge gleaned from its Formula 1 race machines, the FXX Enzo-based track car, the FXX Mille-Chili lightweight concept, the 599XX track car and the 458 Italia road machine, Ferrari has much at its disposal. The Mille-Chili from 2007 gave a clear indication of Ferrari’s new path to achieving ultimate performance: a much lighter vehicle through greater use of exotic materials such as carbon fiber. Incidentally, “mille chili” refers to 1000 kilograms (about 2200 lb.), the target weight for the F70.

Unlike the naturally aspirated V-12-powered Enzo and the F50 before that, the latest word is that the F70 will switch back to a twin-turbo V-8 as seen in the F40. Only the F70’s direct-injected engine will use the very latest technologies to eliminate turbo lag, achieve 670–700 bhp yet return excellent (for a Ferrari) fuel mileage and low emissions (a hybrid powertrain is unlikely for the F70, due to the system’s inherent added weight). The F70 should reach 60 mph in less than 3 seconds. The target top speed of over 230 mph is reached with an array of drag-reducing active aerodynamic features.

Saturday 19 November 2011

BMW 1-Series 2012 Videos

BMW 1-Series 2012 Videos

BMW 1-Series 2012 Review Videos

BMW 1-Series 2012 Review Videos

BMW 1-Series 2012

Sports Car BMW 1-Series 2012 Wallapapers

BMW 1-Series 2012 Wallapapers

BMW 1-Series 2012

Sports Car BMW 1-Series 2012 Pictures

BMW 1-Series 2012 Pictures

BMW 1-Series 2012

BMW 1 Series 2012 All Review With Detail

2012 BMW 1 SERIES REVIEW

Pricing:

116i - from $36,900
118i - from $42,800
118d - from $43,500

Fuel consumption:

116i – 5.7 l/100km (combined)
118i – 5.9 l/100km (combined)
118d – 4.5 l/100km (combined)

Overview:

BMW’s new 2012 1 Series: cheaper, yes, the entry point to the range is nearly five percent less than the car it replaces, and it’s better – what else would you expect it to be?

BMW rarely gets things wrong, and it hasn’t gotten the new 1 Series wrong. Petrol or diesel, this is a car that any keen driver will enjoy.

And while it might sit at the base of BMW’s range of sporting cars, there is no sense that the compact 1 Series is built to a long list of compromises, nor built to a price.

Like its bigger brothers, it feels every bit the premium package.

2012 bmw 1 series review tim 10

It’s not perfect – it’s still a bit cramped in the back, the style of the nose is a tad polarising and, though quick, even the 118i Sport will be shown a set of heels by the likes of the Golf GTI - but you get a lot of thoroughbred for the price.

We put the 118i Sport, 118i and Urban Line 118d variants through their paces – each with the superb eight-speed automatic – and came away convinced.

If you’re in the market for a quality compact car, and can stretch the budget just a little further, you must at least have a very close look at the new 1 Series

Interior:

Each of the cars we drove was pretty heavily optioned, but the pick of the interiors ‘off the shelf’ is the Sport.

Ours came with the optional black Dakota leather with red stitching. In base trim it gets a cloth and anthracite combination with red or grey highlights.

It looks very smart. Red highlights are repeated throughout the cabin, offset by gleaming piano-black surfaces and a neatly-styled sporting cockpit.

Tightly bolstered, with electric adjustment to the back rests, the seats are terrific for my frame, both comfortable and secure for press-on driving.

The Urban Line interior might not be to everyone’s taste. The gloss-white exterior highlighting on the grille, wheels and rear diffuser lip, is repeated inside on the centre console and dash highlights.

It comes with cloth/leather combos off the shelf, we had black leather.

We didn’t much care for the white surfacing – neither inside nor out (it looks like it got sent to the wrong dress-up shop). That said, the white splashes add a breezy air and will no doubt appeal to buyers looking for something a little different.

The new 1 Series has a very appealing interior though.

It feels very snug, it’s airy and beautifully proportioned, the instruments and controls sweep around the driver and into the centre console (where the now standard and brilliantly usable iDrive controller sits).

And, with more leg and shoulder room and larger side glass, it all feels considerably more spacious and accommodating.

A reach and tilt adjustable multi-function steering wheel is standard across the range, so too is keyless ignition, automatic stop/start, USB interface, Bluetooth, CD/MP3 audio system, cruise control, iDrive controller, 6.5-inch monitor, air-con, and a host of other features – all as standard fit.

And this in a range that begins at $36,990 (for the 116i) and has a BMW badge on the nose.

While the price bolts away if you dig too deeply into the options bucket, the entry-level purchase is well-featured and, as I am sure is BMW’s intent, will lean very heavily on VW Golf, Audi A3 and even Mazda3 sales. Here’s a premium buy - a BMW - in reach of the average buyer.

On The Road:

Whether at the wheel of the 118i turbo-driven 1.6 litre petrol, with 125kW and 250Nm of torque, or the 118d 2.0 litre turbo-diesel, with 105kW and 320Nm, it’s impossible not to get a buzz at the wheel of the 1 Series.

It is a deliciously-balanced car and can really be hustled along around a winding road.

Each, both the diesel 118d and the petrol 118i, feels alive. There is such accuracy and precision to the front end, and such a communicative chassis, that it draws the driver out in you.

Our route took us through some long winding passes, damp with rain and with slippery bark-debris littering the roads. The levels of grip and balance in the new 1 Series is class leading.

We were wringing its neck before we had the back-end breaking away – and then only momentarily, and only on mid-corner hollows, before seamlessly ‘caught’ by the traction control (which works delightfully transparently in press-on driving).

Throttle response, from both the 118i petrol and largely unchanged diesel (it’s a carryover from the previous model), is instantaneous.

Mated to the optional eight-speed automatic transmission (with manual ‘sport’ mode and a $3500 cost), both petrol and diesel can run like rabbits.

While the diesel is as good as you’ll find (it’s smooth, willing, has a wide torque band and is eager to rev), the 118i petrol is the pick.

It’s got much more ‘headroom’ at the top of the rev counter, you can really stretch it out and can consequently can hold gears for longer between corners.

With the diesel, counter-intuitively and despite its significant torque advantage, in press-on driving you find yourself paddling back and forth through the eight-speeds to keep the torque in the sweet spot.

Down below, with hard-walled run-flat tyres, the 1 Series is less at home on small surface corrugations – which can jiggle and jar a little – than larger potholes and undulations, which it swallows effortlessly.

The extended wheelbase (up 30mm) produces a generally compliant though nailed-down ride - better considerably than the previous gen car.

In a day of quick punting over some pretty narrow secondary surfaces, we found the bump-stops just once; finding a large pothole at the base of deep hollow.

Fuel consumption? After wringing the 118i’s neck, we returned 8.2 l/100km; ditto with the 118d and returned 5.7 l/100km. BMW claims 5.9 and 4.5 l/100km
respectively.

Sunday 6 November 2011

2008 Honda Civic Mugen Si Sedan Sports Car Review Videos

2008 Honda Civic Mugen Si Sedan Sports Car Videos

2008 Honda Civic Mugen Si Sedan Video

2008 Honda Civic Mugen Si Sedan Sports Car Pictures

2008 Honda Civic Mugen Si Sedan Sports Car Pictures

2008 Honda Civic Mugen Si Sedan

2008 Honda Civic Mugen Si Sedan Review

2008 Honda Civic Mugen Si Sedan Review

Manufacturer     Honda
Production     1984–present
Class     Sport compact
Layout     FF layout
Related     Honda Civic

The Honda Civic Si is a sport compact / hot hatch version of the Civic built by the Japanese automaker Honda. The Si trim, which stands for "Sequential Injection" or "Sport Injected," was introduced for the third generation of Honda Civics in both Japan and North America. In Canada the trim became known as the SiR for the sixth and seventh generations, and the Si trim was equivalent to the USDM EX model.[1][2]

For the Japanese and European markets, the Civic Type R was adopted as the high-performance variant of the Civic, starting with the EK9 hatch for Japan in 1997 and with the EP3 hatch for Europe in 2001. In North America the Type R name has never been used for Civics, and the Si/SiR badge continues to signify the highest performance trim. The Civic Si contrasts with the more track-oriented and spartan Type R, which has less sound deadening and amenities in return for better performance, and has been positioned as more of a full-featured sport trim, featuring luxury options such as a sunroof and a seven speaker audio system.